


How many nights have you wished someone would stay? Lay awake only hoping they’re okay

by ASelTay1DHP



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Gendrya - Freeform, Happy Ending, House Stark, Post-Season/Series 08 Finale, Reunion, Reunions, starks - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 08:04:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19127953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASelTay1DHP/pseuds/ASelTay1DHP
Summary: What if to Gendry being a Lord really meant nothing without Arya? If he gave it up and left Six Kingdoms? And then Arya comes back several years later.There are also short happy endings for most characters.





	How many nights have you wished someone would stay? Lay awake only hoping they’re okay

**Author's Note:**

> Since the finale, I’m basically living on fanfics but I have yet to come across one that would make all my hopes real so I wrote one myself. It was supposed to be a quick short Gendrya one-shot but it got away from me and ended up way longer than I expected and with endings for more characters that I orginally planned (only Arya and Gendry).  
> It’s canon for the show ending so everyone who died is dead :/  
> I’m sorry for any mistakes but English isn’t my first language.  
> Disclaimer: Anything you recognize (characters, places, lines, ect.) belongs to HBO, D&D, GRRM and whoever else owns them.  
> And title credits go to One Direction.

It has been over two weeks since the Dragonpit meeting and the decision to make Arya’s weird brother Bran a King and since Gendry heard from Ser Podrick that Arya chose to sail to explore what’s west of Westeros. When he first heard about it, his heart had shuttered and seemed to not be able to heal still. 

When she declined his proposal at Winterfell, he still had hope that she might change her mind after finishing her list and when there was peace again. However, when she refused to even acknowledge him during the meeting, he knew his chances were really slim. Still he hoped that with time, they could restore their friendship at the very least. 

But now he knew that he will never get his friendship, let alone anything more, ever again. She sailed off to to the West without intention to cone back. 

After days and sleepless nights, Gendry finally got to a conclusion and decided to act on it. After searching for few minutes, he finally found King Bran in the still rebuilding Gardens with Ser Podrick nearby. 

“I’ve been expecting you, Lord Baratheon,” the man in the wheelchair said emotionlessly. 

“Your Grace,” newly appointed lord greeted and bowed, not shocked to hear that he knew he was coming. By now everyone in King’s Landing was already aware that their ruler has the knowledge of past, present and future.

“You wish to revoke your lordship,” the Three-Eyed-Raven continued, “I know the reason but can’t say I understand it completely. I don’t feel anymore, not really.”

“It was never my dream or intention to become the Lord of Storm’s End, Your Grace,” Gendry answered. “The only reason I agreed was so that I could be worthy of your sister but she’s gone now and not likely to ever return, especially not to me. And as I said none of it is worth anything, if she’s not with me. May I be excused from being a lord?”

“It was meant to happen. I already suggested Ser Davos that he would be a good lord and could see his family again soon,” and added cryptically, “you should go join Jon Snow.”

“At the Wall?”

“And beyond,” added King Bran with what looked a bit like a smirk. 

“I’ll do that. Thank you, Your Grace,” and with a bow Gendry excused himself. 

He didn’t really think much of what he will do once he’s no longer a lord but now he didn’t have to. He trusted Arya’s little brother and even though he wasn’t sure why he would possibly be needed beyond the Wall, he was happy to go and find out. 

After heartfelt conversation with Ser Davor, or now Lord Davos Seaworth of Storm’s End, Gendry painfully realised that the older man was the only person left in Six Kingdoms that he would miss. All his other friends were gone and the only remaining ones were Jon and Tormund and he would join them in few weeks. 

***

It turned out that Gendry was in fact needed beyond the Wall. Even now almost seven years later, his best friend Jon was still not over that he had to kill the Dragon Queen and death of a Wildling woman, Ygritte apparently another woman he loved and lost. 

After just a year of ruling, Queen Sansa pardoned Jon and invited him to live in Winterfell and be her Hand. He declined but when four years later a letter from King Bran came that thanks to his sister’s constant pleadings, he was no longer exiled, Jon visited her for a month and found out that while her dream of being a Queen was fulfilled, she was miserable by not having her family or anyone close to her. It helped Gendry to be sure that he made a good decision when he gave up being a lord. 

When the southern man joined Free Folks, he and Jon quickly became best of friends, especially after they realized how much they both missed Arya and indulged themselves in hours of listening to the other’s stories about her. 

While Genry and Jon weren’t interested in finding themselves women, three years ago Tormund finally got over Ser Brienne and found a woman for himself. When she give birth to a girl and they called her Brie, no one pointed the obvious connection to the Lady Ser he used to be infatuated by but they all noticed that. 

Their lives were relatively peaceful and they were all grateful for that. But one day everything changed. It was snowing, not as heavily as it used to when The Night King was near but enough for the Free Folk to stay near their shelters. The lone horsemen wasn’t a rare view but it was always greeted with attention of Free Folks because though it usually wasn’t important, it was always something interesting. When the person dismounted the horse and took off their hood, they recognized the Night King Slayer herself. 

“Arya,” Jon whispered and was looking at her like he was seeing a ghost but opened his arms as soon as she started to run towards him. 

“Jon, I missed you so much,” they held each other for several seconds and then when they parted, he noticed how much more like his little sister, before she went South, she looked. Though she still had the Needle and Catspaw dagger on her waist, she no longer had that distant look and unwelcoming, dangerous vibe. She was smiling almost as brightly as she used to and he realized that not seeing her for so long was really worth it since she finally was lighter and looked like a young women of 25 and not a person who has seen and experienced way too much. 

All too soon their reunion was interrupted when huge hands lifted her off the ground and after the initial protest from the girl, they hugged her, “Isn’t that our fierce little wolf who killed the Night King?” Tormund let her down and put her on her feet and ruffled her hair, “those two keep bitching about you not being here and I feel like I know everything about you with all the stories they are sharing.”

“Two?” and when she looked around, she finally noticed her former love standing frozen few feet from her. “Gendry?” slipped out of Arya’s mouth and she took a step in his direction only to stop when he turned around and walked away quickly. 

People started to disperse but Jon and Tormund stayed, “you broke his heart,” the red head spoke after she turned around to look at them and to get some answers. 

“I though I might have,” Arya admitted sadly. “But why is he here? Wasn’t he supposed the Lord of Storm’s End?”

“He arrived a week after me,” Jon began explaining. “At first we didn’t know what happened and thought he was exiled as well. But later he opened up how he loved you and you were the only reason he even agreed to be a Lord Baratheon.”

“I didn’t think he would leave Six Kindoms because of me,” the woman said. “Do you know where he could have gone? I want to talk to him before I do more damage. As much as I missed you we can catch up later.”

***

When Jon told her to go though a small space between the waterfall and the stones, Arya thought he was making fun of her but as he already left while she was inspecting it, she decided to try. And to her surprise there was a cave and there was her Bull. 

“I thought you would be at Storm’s End. With a lady just as I kept hearing the lord there has.”

“Ser Davos became the lord after I declined,” Gendry informed her curtly. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m back for good. I found some islands in the West but it was never my intention to invade them or stay there. It turns out the world is round and I found myself in Essos so I turned back and returned to Westeros. I docked in Lannisport and went North. I wanted to visit Sansa, Jon, then Bran and then go to Storm’s End to stay there and become whatever you would allow me to be. Your guard or-“

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“Gendry, I-“ she tried to move closer.

“You left. Arya you left without even bothering to tell me goodbye.” He lost his temper, “I told you I loved you and you denied my proposal and I understood that but you didn’t even say that you were leaving to King’s Landing where you could have died! You didn’t acknowledge me in the Dragonpit, you didn’t think of letting me know you’re leaving with intention to never come back. You couldn’t even write a simple note! I had to find out by overhearing and then asking Podrick! Did you even care about me?”

“Of course I did! How can you even ask me that?” Arya screamed and tears were shining in her eyes. It was the first real emotion he saw since the Red Witch was taking him all those years ago. “I’ve never been a lady and you just couldn’t get it through your thick skull! I had my list-“

“And I would have waited! And I never wanted you to change! I loved you the way you were!”

“You didn’t even know me anymore! I wasn’t the little girl you left behind! I was a ruthless killer with so much blood on my hands and no longer with only people’s who deserved that!”

“I would have loved to get to know you!”

“But you deserved better!”

“But I didn’t want it,” Gendry said quielty and for the first time since she entered the cave, they weren’t shouting at each other. “I wanted you. The assassin, the women who came back and after everything still wanted to be Arya Stark of Winterfell.”

The silence that followed left them both facing the flashes of memories, thoughts and hopes they once had towards each other. 

“Why did you leave?” Gendry inquired. 

“The Hound and I went South. I wanted to kill Cersei, he the Mountain.” Arya started. “As much as I didn’t want to admit, it was good to be back with him on the road. It was bringing back memories and he was about the only person who didn’t expect anything of me, accepted me for who I was and just let me be. We were in the city when Dragon Queen decided to destroy it. We got to the Red Keep and almost got to the people we wanted to kill but the whole building was shaking, it was obvious that it would collapse. Sandor told me to go, not to let my revenge destroy me and to leave the city and to live. And for the first time in my life I truly listened to someone. And I thought I would go to Storm’s End to ask you to propose to me again and I would say yes but when I left the Red Keep, it was only a beginning. It was terrible. The worst thing I’ve ever seen and you know I’ve seen a lot. Common people were trying to survive the dragon, the fire was everywhere, the soldiers still thought it was necessary to kill, the buildings were collapsing, I was almost stomped by a crowd- It was a slaugher- I thought- After everything death was supposed to be something familiar- I though the Others and the Night King were the worst but King’s Landing- I’ve always hated that city and the people there but that day I was terrified. I tried to help- Everyone was burning or bleeding out. I was sure I’ll die there. But I didn’t. When I woke up, everyone around me was dead. It reeked of burnt people, blood, shit and death and there I was a lone survivor- A horse found me and I thought maybe I was destined to do something but I realized that I was too tired- To fight, to do something worthwhile. I found Jon and his Queen was there and it seemed that she would not be stopped, that she wasn’t done fighting. I wanted to throw something at her. To kill her right then and there but I couldn’t find the strength and I told Jon that she had to be stopped. He said it was mostly Tyrion who convinced him to kill her but I somewhat blamed myself too. I was trained to be a killer and I asked my honorable brother to kill a woman he loved instead,” she finally stopped talking for few seconds. “I though I knew death. All of its faces. I though I could be the person who gives out justice but I realized that I don’t want to. So I decided to do what I was thinking about for a while and go West. I wanted to let you know I was leaving and I wanted to ask you to come with me but after everything I couldn’t. I barely said goodbye to Sansa and Bran. And you’re right I wasn’t planning on coming back. I wanted to die there. Sandor told me to live but I just didn’t know how to. Almost everything I remembered was laced with having the purpose to avenge my family and friends and to see them again. And I fulfilled both. And it was something that I’ve always assumed that I would die doing and I’ve never planned on living after that. I didn’t really have plans for the future. And I knew that after the massacre of King’s Landing I was too broken and I didn’t want to poison Sansa or you so I left. And now I’m back. I think I’m better that I was when I left. I’m finally ready to stay.” She finished her story. I’m sorry I broke your heart but I did care about you. But the truth is you weren’t the only one who thought he didn’t deserve someone. And after everything I wasn’t sure how I deserved any happiness. Let alone someone as wonderful as you.” She finally moved in his direction and when he didn’t protest, she hugged him and cried into his chest. 

 

“I’ve never meant for you to feel like I was playing with you,” Arya continued. “I’m sorry I broke your heart and that you lost your lordship because of me. I know I might not deserved it but I love you and I think I want to stay here with you, if you‘ll have me.” 

“Arya, I only took the lordship so I could be with you. I never cared about it, you know. And you might have some grovelling to do but I might just let you stay with me,” Gendry teased. 

“Arya? Gendry? Are you in there? Can I come in?” they heard Jon’s voice from behind the waterfall. 

“Yes, come in,” Arya shouted back after sharing a quick glance with her man. 

“I was worried about you,” Jon explained.

“We had a lot to talk about,” his sister answered honestly.

“Are you two okay now though?” 

“Yes,” they both answered in unison. And Jon thought that for the first time in a really long time they looked truly happy.

“Good. It’s getting late, we should get back before it gets too dark. And I still want to hear about what’s west of Westeros.” 

***

Just as she said, Arya decided to stay North and to never go back to King’s Landing again so instead she wrote to her brother Bran that if he wanted to meet her, he should come to Winterfell. And he did. Almost a month later the whole Starks pack that survived met once again in their childhood home. 

Alongside the king, came Grand Maester Samwell Turly, Lord Davos Seaworth of Storm’s End and the Hand of the King, Meera Reed. As they found out though Tyrion was a good Hand, he was released after two years and went to rebuild and rule over Casterly Rock when Bran’s old friend came to visit the Capitol. The only Lannister left even married a woman called Tysha that apparently he knew many years ago. 

Jon enjoyed his time with his friend Sam and eagerly listened to stories about Little Sam, Jon and Edd and of course Gilly. After initial misunderstanding, they found out that when Bran became the king he insisted that Sam was to be Grand Maester but let him not live by the usual vows. Arya told Sam everything she found on the West and gave him maps she and her crew created. 

Lord Davos was happy to be reunited with two men he thought of as almost his sons. Both Gendry and Jon missed the man and they were relieved to see him well. 

The new Hand of the King, Meera Reed quickly won Starks’ hearts after they found how how she knew Bran. And her and Arya took to sparring every morning for the month that they stayed there. 

Queen Sansa was the happiest when she was reunited with her former sworn sword Ser Brienne and Ser Podrick and to everyone’s surprise, except Bran’s, the latter decided to stay in Winterfell and a year later Starks reunited again for the wedding of Queen Sansa and her King consort Podrick. The wedding was a beautiful ceremony and consisted of everything Sansa has always wanted, including a handome, gentle, brave knight. To the utter surprise of Arya and Gendry the feast was prepared by the Head Cook of Winterfell, Hot Pie which they found out after recognizing his famous direwolf bread. And since then Arya, Jon and Genry were regularly visiting Winterfell to see their nieces and nephews Theon, Brienne, Tyrion, Robb and Rickon. 

Ser Brienne has never quite gotten over Ser Jamie Lannister’s death but as she claimed being the Master-at-Arms of the King was her dream come true. She was finally a knight as she wanted her whole life and the best and the most important in the whole realm at that. But she also never forgot who knighted her and how she got her sword Oathkeeper. 

Fortunately, Jon was able to move on from grieving Daenerys and Ygritte and finally found a woman for himself after being alone for few years. A year later, the beautiful Wildling woman gave birth to his daughter Lyanna. 

As for Arya and Gendry, three months after their reunion, they wedded the Free Folk way only to repeat the wedding three years later in the Great Hall in Winterfell with only short vows because none of them really believed in the Gods anymore. They probably could have avoided that if it weren’t for the small bump on Arya’s stomach that made Sansa scold them and demand an official wedding that she could be a part of. Five months later also at her sister insistence, Arya gave birth in Winterfell with assistance of a qualified maester. After long debates they decided to name the twins Ned and Sandor because as Gendry kept saying you can’t name a kid after someone who’s still alive because it could bring them bad luck and Davos being now an old man, it could bring him death and Jon didn’t want another namesake, especially one living so close to him. 

Life wasn’t by far perfect for any of them but it was peaceful, safe and full of love and that was enough. Each of them got their little happy ending and it made everything they’ve been through worth it. They still missed people that were gone and their ghosts still lived with them but they were making the best they could of the lives they had. They were happy most of the time and that was everything.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it and if you did, please leave like/kudos :)  
> I’m sorry that I gave almost everyone a happy ending that (in most cases) includes a significant other and children but it’s due to lack of them in the finale that I had overdone it. It’s not really my belief that a happy ending had to include these.


End file.
